


Denoument

by Confetti94



Category: Original Work
Genre: Fantasy, It has bird people!!!, It'll get explained don't worry, OCs - Freeform, Original Characters - Freeform, Original work - Freeform, They fight storms or something
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-05-18
Updated: 2016-05-18
Packaged: 2018-06-09 04:53:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,063
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6890986
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Confetti94/pseuds/Confetti94
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Nestled deep within the forests of the north, a colony of harpy-like creatures fight at the edge of the world...</p>
            </blockquote>





	Denoument

I have journeyed through this extensive world, recording and documenting my discoveries. I have visited countless villages, cities, and colonies, each with vastly different cultures and inhabitants. I have lived in these areas, learning the peoples' way of life and developing the skills needed to survive in said habitats. I have lived through many things; yet, out of every single place I have sojourned, the land of the Aviairs is by far the most interesting.

Aviairs - the name itself derives from traveling merchants who saw the people of the tribes and created an amusing term to describe them - are secluded individuals who value personal space. From what I gathered, it was unusual for anyone to know much about Aviairs; their habitat is unsuitable for most creatures, and the lore behind several landmarks deters many from settling down in the forest. 

The first thing you should know is that the average Aviair looks very much like a human, except he or she has a distinct pair of wings, taloned hands/feet, and pointed ears that separates him or her from Homo sapiens. As I mentioned earlier, this is why Aviairs are called Aviairs. It is a jumbled mixture of the words "avian," "air," and "aviary," which are all related to feathered folk in general. According to speculation, the term was first thought of when a merchant intentionally made a joking comment about the Aviair village being "a giant aviary, with equally large avians." Whether this is actually true or not, I am unsure - however, there is usually a grain of truth in every rumor. 

I learned a lot about the Aviairs during the period of time I lived amongst them. There are three prominent features in the Aviair habitat, each of which is home to lore and history. The first one that I will be going over is the body of water that the Aviairs refer to as the Lakeway. Interestingly, despite how far north the pond is located, it manages not to freeze for a large portion of the year.

The Lakeway is a shallow pond inhabited largely by small, bioluminescent insects known as Spiricks - a term coined by local Aviairs that is a mixture of the words "spirit" and "tick," with "tick" being significant in that the insects often nestle within the feathers of Aviairs. Spiricks, although sometimes annoying and pesky, are harmless and, when resting in Aviair wings, do not bite or agitate the skin. I attended a festival in which young Aviairs would flock to the Lakeway, swim in the water and walk through the grass and reeds, and run back to the village to show off the Spiricks glowing in their flight appendages. It was quite lovely, if you ask me.

Next, we have what is called Gatehorn Pass; this is a national term for the mountains that are located even further north than the Aviair tribe itself. 

(Pictured near the bottom right is the silhouette of one of my Aviair colleagues, who housed me during my stay in the village. He stood on top of a large rock and looked dramatically at the mountains to look cool, although he mostly did that so he could be in the photo. I happily obliged.)

These large, imposing mountains are the border between the northern Aviair tribe and the southern Aviair tribe. To avoid confusion, I must explain: Aviairs live in the north, however the distinction of "northern" and "southern" is only used when talking about the tribes separated by Gatehorn Pass. It was named after a legendary Aviair with horns who investigated the mountains, despite fears that it was cursed. Also, a disclaimer: Aviairs do not have horns. It is unclear whether the Aviair actually had horns or not.

And, finally...we have what is called the Abyss. The Abyss is both feared and respected - the very nature of it is shrouded in mystery. I wasn't able to capture a photo of it - for some reason, the locals were extremely agitated by the thought of me publishing a picture of the thing. I will attempt to describe it as best I can.

The Abyss is a giant crevice wedged in the center of a desolate plain; the grass surrounding it is long dead - course and dried, as if a fire had passed through and sucked all the nutrients out of the earth. It's impossible to see the bottom of it, although I assume it's deeper than anything I can imagine. Nobody, not even the Aviairs, is sure how deep it really is, or what's inside it. While I was here, I was able to witness the pit of the ravine glow and emit bubbles of light. To this day, I am unsure what they were - spirits? Some kind of phenomenon created by pressure in the ground? Spiricks? Maybe some things are meant to be kept a mystery.

Speaking of mysteries, there's an entire ring of Aviairs with powers - superheroes, I dare say - that defend the colony. While they are well known to the Aviair villagers, I was unable to gather more information for a reason unknown. The locals were very stiff lipped about it, and even my guide refused to tell me more than what I already knew. In fact, the only reason I know about them is because I saw them take flight to fight something, or someone, that emerged from the Abyss. The idea in theory is terrifying - flying towards that dreaded place to counter something that CAME from the thing? It's unheard of. But apparently this is a monthly occurrence, maybe even weekly. Who knows?

Before I left, I was able to witness the birth - or, rather, the hatching - of about 100 Aviairs. It's amazing how large the eggs are! I would have to say at least twice as large as an ostrich's, but that might be exaggerating the truth. 

(Field notes: hatchlings weigh a lot less than human newborns, wings not feathered (obviously), eyes are not sealed shut but lack color - will ask companion about this phenomenon.)

Although I wish I could say more, I'm afraid this is all I know about the strange Aviairs. They're an incredible species, and are very polite to outsiders - if not a little secretive about their ways. I hope to one day revisit the southern village, and maybe (just MAYBE) discover the secrets of the Abyss.

Stay curious!

\- D.S.


End file.
